700 Tubes Of Poison Toothpaste Seized

Over 700 tubes of poisonous counterfeit toothpaste were seized in Connecticut, according to The New York Times. The toothpaste is flavored with diethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting chemical more commonly found in anti-freeze. It can cause liver and kidney damage if swallowed.

From the NYT:

Inspectors from the state’s Department of Consumer Protection said they seized 430 tubes of a counterfeit Colgate toothpaste reportedly made in South Africa and 275 tubes of Chinese-made Dentakleen and the strawberry and blueberry flavors of Dentakleen Junior from stores in Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Derby and North Branford. The varieties of the counterfeit Colgate brand, including maximum cavity protection, gel and triple action, are listed as tainted.

State officials said inspections would continue this week.

Last month, about 900,000 tubes of tainted toothpaste turned up in prisons and other state institutions, mostly in Georgia and North Carolina, and at some hospitals in South Carolina and Florida. The investigation in Connecticut was prompted by a call from a consumer who reported that the toothpaste was still on the shelves of some stores, despite the recall order.

Connecticut’s Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal (a sort of rock star of Attorney Generals, as he is currently suing Best Buy over their secret website), said, “Our demand to Chinese manufacturers is for information necessary to track down and crack down on all these poisonous products.”